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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.

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: cue · staff · row · current · trunk · ball · leaves · bass

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — happening now
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. row — a line
  8. bass — low music
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. current — electric
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. staff — a stick
  16. current — of water
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. cue — a hint
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. staff — employees
  24. cue — for pool

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