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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ball — a great time
  4. row — a line
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — after costs
  8. row — to paddle
  9. firm — steady
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a dance
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — tied together
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. firm — decided
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. current — happening now
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. firm — a company
  24. bound — certain

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