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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: pound · spell · current · rash · net · bass · kid · tube

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. net — for catching
  4. rash — a series
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tube — the underground
  7. spell — letters
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. net — after costs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. spell — magic
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. bass — low music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bass — the fish
  23. tube — a container
  24. net — in sport

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