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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bound — obliged
  3. present — a gift
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. current — electric
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chair — a leader
  10. firm — a company
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. current — of water
  15. present — the time now
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. present — there
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. firm — steady
  22. bound — certain
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. current — happening now

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