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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 116 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: content · bass · perch · pass · dip · field · rash · current

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. rash — a series
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rash — hasty
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — low music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. current — electric
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. content — the amount

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