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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stock — shares
  7. race — a contest
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. row — a line
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — a company
  12. race — humankind
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — goods
  15. firm — decided
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bass — low music

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