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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: face · racket · branch · current · roll · wind · pop · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. face — to point toward
  4. roll — a list
  5. current — of water
  6. bass — low music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — soda
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. face — to confront
  15. wind — moving air
  16. current — happening now
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wind — moving air
  21. branch — a division
  22. current — electric
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pop — music

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