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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: bat · cabinet · firm · hide · ball · fork · bass · current

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. current — of water
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — electric
  16. firm — decided
  17. current — happening now
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ball — a dance
  22. firm — steady
  23. bass — low music
  24. firm — a company

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