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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stock — shares
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stock — goods
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — electric
  11. field — for sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rest — a break
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. field — a subject
  18. tear — to rip
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — happening now
  21. cue — a signal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — hurry
  24. tear — from crying

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