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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. kick — in football
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. current — happening now
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pit — a hole
  15. firm — a company
  16. stock — shares
  17. current — of water
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stock — goods
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bass — low music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bass — the fish

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