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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · suit · mine · cap · pop · present · bass · court

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. court — of a king
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mine — for digging
  8. current — of water
  9. court — of law
  10. suit — in cards
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pop — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cap — a hat
  17. present — the time now
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pop — soda
  20. bass — low music
  21. court — for sport
  22. present — there
  23. suit — to fit
  24. present — a gift

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