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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · firm · face · squash · current · bass

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bass — the fish
  5. squash — to crush
  6. firm — decided
  7. current — electric
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — steady
  11. face — to confront
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. current — of water
  17. face — part of the head
  18. current — happening now

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