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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: stick · bulb · season · rock · bass · kid · rush · current

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. current — happening now
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — low music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rush — hurry
  15. season — of the year
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. season — in sport
  24. kid — child

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