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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. firm — decided
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — a country
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the fish
  8. current — of water
  9. land — to come down
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. firm — a company
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. firm — steady
  19. stock — goods
  20. fall — the season
  21. land — ground
  22. current — electric
  23. suit — clothes
  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