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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — shares
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stock — goods
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — finally
  10. current — of water
  11. last — to go on
  12. current — happening now
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. last — final
  18. current — electric

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