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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: bass · current · stand · last · racket · scale · wound · jam

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. current — happening now
  6. last — final
  7. bass — low music
  8. current — of water
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wound — an injury
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. scale — in music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — to go on
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. current — electric
  22. last — finally
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stand — to bear

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