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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: pitcher · tube · rest · wind · suit · current · game · bass

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. current — electric
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. rest — a break
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. game — a match
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — the fish
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — of water
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bass — low music

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