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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: date · current · straw · mine · mark · pop · key · bass

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pop — to visit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pop — music
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. current — of water
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. current — electric
  14. pop — soda
  15. mark — a trace
  16. current — happening now
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bass — low music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mine — for digging
  24. date — the fruit

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