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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. spell — letters
  2. firm — decided
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. track — a song
  6. current — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. current — happening now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — electric
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. firm — steady
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. firm — a company
  21. track — a path
  22. spell — magic
  23. wound — an injury
  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