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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 · can · bay · stock · land · cue · swing · current

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. current — electric
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cue — for pool
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. land — ground
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — to come down
  13. current — happening now
  14. bass — low music
  15. stock — goods
  16. land — a country
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — shares
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — music
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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