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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. file — a line of people
  6. current — of water
  7. board — to get on
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lean — thin
  10. file — a document
  11. squash — to crush
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bass — the fish
  14. file — a tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. board — a committee
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lean — to bend
  24. squash — the vegetable

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