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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.

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: band · key · rash · current · bass · pitch · bank · kid

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. key — in music
  4. kid — child
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rash — a series
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a music group
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — electric
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. band — a ring
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bass — low music
  24. rash — hasty

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