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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. firm — decided
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. board — a committee
  10. wind — moving air
  11. game — a match
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — steady
  16. current — of water
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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