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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: cell · press · bass · last · bay · current · ball · can

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — a publisher
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — low music
  10. press — to push
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. press — newspapers
  17. current — happening now
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cell — a phone
  24. last — final

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