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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: mate · pitcher · lash · content · bass · current · pop · track

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. bass — low music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — the amount
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. content — happy
  6. pop — music
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pop — soda
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mate — a friend
  13. track — a path
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pop — to visit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. current — electric
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — of water
  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