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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. current — of water
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bass — low music
  9. key — in music
  10. current — electric
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bass — the fish
  13. firm — a company
  14. suit — to fit
  15. firm — steady
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — happening now
  18. firm — decided

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