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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. current — of water
  3. game — a match
  4. present — there
  5. bass — low music
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. present — the time now
  10. firm — a company
  11. key — the most important part
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bass — the fish
  14. key — for a lock
  15. present — a gift
  16. game — wild animals
  17. firm — decided
  18. key — in music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  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