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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: current · hide · pound · wave · mark · court · bass · present

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. current — of water
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — low music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. current — happening now
  16. present — a gift
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. present — the time now
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. court — of law
  23. current — electric
  24. present — there

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