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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mug — a face
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — a country
  9. stock — goods
  10. land — ground
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. firm — steady
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — hurry
  15. current — electric
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. firm — a company
  19. mug — a cup
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. land — to come down

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