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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. branch — a division
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stock — goods
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. court — of a king
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. snap — to click
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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