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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — steady
  5. current — of water
  6. mark — a trace
  7. perch — the fish
  8. chest — a box
  9. rest — a break
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — electric
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. firm — decided
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. current — happening now
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rest — what's left

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