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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: plane · row · current · fine · bass · club · shower · band

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. current — of water
  2. row — to paddle
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. plane — a tool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. current — happening now
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. band — a ring
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. shower — to wash
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bass — the fish
  15. row — a line
  16. shower — rain
  17. current — electric
  18. club — for dancing
  19. band — a music group
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bass — the instrument
  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