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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: toast · current · band · spell · coach · bass · bark · straw

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bark — to shout
  3. current — electric
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — of water
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spell — magic
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. spell — a short time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — low music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — happening now
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. spell — letters
  21. toast — bread
  22. bass — the fish
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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