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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — electric
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. current — happening now
  8. firm — steady
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. row — a line
  13. roll — a list
  14. current — of water
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. roll — a cake
  20. firm — a company
  21. stock — goods
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stock — shares
  24. firm — decided

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