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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 120 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
468
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 · foot · march · rock · hand · bass · face · bat

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — electric
  9. hand — in cards
  10. face — to point toward
  11. march — the month
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. current — happening now
  15. face — to confront
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rock — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. march — music
  22. current — of water
  23. march — the month
  24. bat — the animal

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