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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. firm — steady
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. firm — a company
  9. bass — the fish
  10. land — to come down
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — to get on
  16. rock — music
  17. board — a committee
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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