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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
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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: current · rush · content · bass · ball · pop · spring · rock

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. content — happy
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pop — soda
  10. bass — the fish
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spring — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bass — low music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — music
  24. rush — hurry

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