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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. net — for catching
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stock — shares
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — happening now
  10. rule — government
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stock — goods
  13. net — after costs
  14. current — electric
  15. net — in sport
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. racket — for tennis

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