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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. row — a line
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — happening now
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — thin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cap — of ice
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — to sink
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bass — low music

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