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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: band · wind · mark · tube · current · cue · bass · spring

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. bass — the fish
  3. spring — the season
  4. current — of water
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tube — a container
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. current — happening now
  13. band — a ring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a music group
  21. bass — low music
  22. cue — a signal
  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