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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: fan · current · sharp · bass · key · row · hand · suit

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. current — happening now
  3. hand — help
  4. key — for a lock
  5. sharp — clever
  6. row — to paddle
  7. key — the most important part
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. current — of water
  12. key — in music
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — low music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. current — electric
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hand — part of the body

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