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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: present · racket · fine · bass · mine · current · date · roll

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. current — electric
  5. date — the fruit
  6. roll — a cake
  7. current — of water
  8. present — the time now
  9. fine — high quality
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bass — low music
  13. roll — a list
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. present — there
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — the fish
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — all right
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. present — a gift
  24. bass — the instrument

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