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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — decided
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. craft — boats
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — electric
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. current — happening now
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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