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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. club — a group
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chip — for betting
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stock — goods
  24. 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