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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: bass · march · drill · mark · cabinet · arm · current · clip

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. march — the month
  3. mark — a trace
  4. current — happening now
  5. drill — army training
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. clip — for paper
  13. current — electric
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. clip — to cut
  18. march — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. clip — a video
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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