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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: club · deal · current · wave · bass · root · toast · ball

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. toast — bread
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. root — the cause
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ball — a great time
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bass — low music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. root — of a word
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bass — the fish
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ball — a dance
  23. current — electric
  24. club — for dancing

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