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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. key — the most important part
  7. content — happy
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. content — the amount
  12. bass — low music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. key — for a lock
  16. band — a music group
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. key — in music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rush — hurry
  23. current — happening now
  24. band — a ring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com