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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. current — happening now
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. game — a match
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bank — for money
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fine — all right
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. current — of water
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — electric
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. firm — steady

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