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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. firm — steady
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rash — a series
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a dance
  14. court — of a king
  15. stem — to come from
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — happening now
  18. court — for sport
  19. current — electric
  20. hand — help
  21. court — of law
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. current — of water

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