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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bass — low music
  3. stock — goods
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. board — a committee
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — of water
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — to get on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stock — shares
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. game — a match

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