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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 120 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: squash · pitcher · wake · plane · bark · bass · chip · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. current — electric
  7. bark — to shout
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bass — low music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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