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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. scale — in music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — electric
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. court — of law
  16. cap — a hat
  17. court — of a king
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — for sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cap — of ice
  24. current — happening now

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