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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. drill — army training
  5. stock — shares
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. current — happening now
  8. file — a tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — of water
  12. file — a line of people
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a document
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter

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