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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chest — a box
  5. pop — to visit
  6. squash — to crush
  7. current — electric
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — of water
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pop — music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pop — soda
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. firm — decided
  24. squash — the sport

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