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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. current — electric
  3. pitch — completely
  4. swing — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. swing — in golf
  9. board — to get on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. swing — to play on
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. shower — rain
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. board — a committee
  21. current — happening now
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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