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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fine — all right
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. firm — decided
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bass — the fish
  9. club — for golf
  10. firm — steady
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. current — happening now
  14. bass — low music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. current — electric
  21. mate — a friend
  22. current — of water
  23. mate — to breed
  24. firm — a company

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