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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. suit — clothes
  3. current — electric
  4. game — wild animals
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. current — of water
  7. game — a match
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. current — happening now
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bass — low music
  20. roll — a list
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cap — of ice
  23. clip — a video
  24. roll — a cake

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