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

Word bank: current · pitch · degree · board · land · firm · deal · lean

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. board — to get on
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitch — completely
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. land — a country
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. firm — decided
  13. degree — from a university
  14. current — electric
  15. land — to come down
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lean — thin
  18. land — ground
  19. degree — an amount
  20. firm — steady
  21. board — a committee
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. firm — a company

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