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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: roll · current · clip · sharp · bass · ball · toast · rest

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. sharp — clever
  5. toast — bread
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. clip — a video
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bass — the fish
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bass — low music
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. current — electric
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rest — what's left
  22. roll — a cake
  23. clip — for paper
  24. current — of water

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