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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. band — a ring
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. firm — steady
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — a company
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — electric
  19. band — a music group
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — decided
  22. swing — in golf
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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