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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. capital — money
  4. firm — a company
  5. capital — a city
  6. staff — a stick
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — steady
  12. chair — a leader
  13. current — of water
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pound — a weight
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — electric
  24. staff — employees

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