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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: toast · bass · wind · track · lie · current · pitch · tube

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitch — completely
  4. current — electric
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. current — happening now
  10. track — a song
  11. current — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bass — low music
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — the fish
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wind — moving air
  23. toast — bread
  24. tube — a container

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