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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 116 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 · suit · bat · rock · can · fall · current · band

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — electric
  8. suit — clothes
  9. band — a music group
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. current — happening now
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — of water

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