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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: date · current · pound · club · cabinet · wave · rush · bass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — of water
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. club — for golf
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — a weight
  12. club — for dancing
  13. current — happening now
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. club — a group
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bass — low music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. current — electric

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