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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: current · shower · field · bass · mouse · face · deal · rock

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. face — to point toward
  3. field — a subject
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. field — for sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. shower — rain
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bass — low music
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. current — electric
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. field — farmland
  22. face — to confront
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rock — a stone

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