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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. firm — a company
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rule — government
  9. bass — low music
  10. game — a match
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — of water
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rule — a law
  17. suit — to fit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. current — happening now
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bass — the fish
  22. suit — clothes
  23. straw — dry grass
  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