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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 · rest · wave · key · capital · content · file · current

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a tool
  3. current — electric
  4. file — a line of people
  5. key — in music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bass — low music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. current — happening now
  12. rest — a break
  13. content — the amount
  14. capital — money
  15. content — happy
  16. current — of water
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. capital — a city
  21. bass — the fish
  22. key — for a lock
  23. file — a document
  24. key — the most important part

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