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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: bass · current · roll · calf · coach · cold · mate · rock

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rock — music
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bass — low music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. current — electric
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mate — to breed
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mate — a friend
  20. current — happening now
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. roll — a list
  24. cold — an illness

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