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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. present — there
  3. pop — to visit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. present — a gift
  6. pop — music
  7. current — electric
  8. firm — decided
  9. present — the time now
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. file — a line of people
  12. firm — a company
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. capital — a city
  16. file — a tool
  17. current — happening now
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. capital — money
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — soda
  24. current — of water

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