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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pop — music
  3. pitch — completely
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fall — the season
  9. land — a country
  10. current — happening now
  11. land — ground
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — of water
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — boats
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pop — to visit
  22. land — to come down
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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