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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 120 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: kid · key · bass · can · ball · shower · current · bay

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — the fish
  5. key — in music
  6. current — happening now
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — the most important part
  10. shower — to wash
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bass — low music
  17. shower — rain
  18. current — of water
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. kid — to tease
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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