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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: ball · spell · face · march · fine · bear · mouse · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. current — of water
  5. march — music
  6. fine — all right
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — magic
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. march — the month
  19. face — to confront
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. face — part of the head
  24. current — happening now

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