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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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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: toast · pass · bass · saw · game · current · track · snap

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. current — of water
  3. bass — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pass — a permit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bass — low music
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. saw — the tool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. current — happening now
  18. toast — bread
  19. track — a song
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. snap — to click
  23. current — electric
  24. bass — the instrument

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