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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. current — of water
  3. object — an aim
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. object — to protest
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — hasty
  18. object — a thing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rash — a series
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — a leader
  24. current — electric

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