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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 · fine · lean · ball · hand · current · bear · deal

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fine — high quality
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bass — low music
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — all right
  7. current — electric
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — help
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ball — a dance
  19. current — happening now
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ball — a great time
  24. current — of water

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