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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. firm — a company
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. dip — to sink
  7. firm — steady
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. current — happening now
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. firm — decided
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bass — the instrument

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