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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ball — a dance
  3. snap — to click
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bound — obliged
  6. firm — a company
  7. bound — tied together
  8. current — electric
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bound — certain
  11. charge — in control
  12. board — to get on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — a price
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. board — a committee
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — happening now
  22. firm — decided
  23. charge — electricity
  24. current — of water

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