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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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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: current · bass · chest · firm · toast · game · nail · mine

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. toast — bread
  6. firm — a company
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. current — happening now
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — decided
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bass — the fish
  15. current — of water
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bass — low music
  19. current — electric
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — steady
  24. game — a match

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