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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. firm — decided
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. firm — steady
  14. lean — thin
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. current — of water
  18. chair — a leader
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. firm — a company

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