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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kid — child
  7. row — a line
  8. current — of water
  9. firm — steady
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. current — electric
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kid — to tease
  16. firm — decided
  17. stock — goods
  18. current — happening now
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. pitch — completely
  24. row — a quarrel

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