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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — goods
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — shares
  13. key — the most important part
  14. current — electric
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. track — a song
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock

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