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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bass — low music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. firm — decided
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. current — happening now
  9. foot — a measure
  10. present — there
  11. row — a line
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bass — the fish
  14. current — of water
  15. firm — steady
  16. hand — in cards
  17. current — electric
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. present — a gift
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. present — the time now
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. hand — help

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