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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. 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. current — happening now
  2. drill — army training
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. current — of water
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. firm — steady
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wind — moving air
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pound — a weight
  18. net — for catching
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — a company
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — a permit
  24. 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