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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · bark · ball · leaves · current · rush · bass · staff

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. staff — a stick
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. current — happening now
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bass — low music
  17. current — of water
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bark — to shout
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — soda

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