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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 124 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. current — electric
  4. clip — for paper
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — a grade
  7. net — after costs
  8. object — a thing
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. net — in sport
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mug — a face
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. object — an aim
  20. clip — a video
  21. object — to protest
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. clip — to cut

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