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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. club — for dancing
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. firm — decided
  13. board — a committee
  14. firm — a company
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. club — a group
  18. face — to confront
  19. board — to get on
  20. firm — steady
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. club — for golf
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mouse — the animal

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