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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. firm — a company
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — electric
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — the earth
  7. land — to come down
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. land — ground
  10. firm — decided
  11. bank — of a river
  12. land — a country
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bass — the fish
  16. kick — in football
  17. current — happening now
  18. firm — steady
  19. current — of water
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bank — for money
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bass — low music
  24. ground — a position

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