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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stock — goods
  4. net — in sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. net — for catching
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cell — a phone
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. mark — a trace
  16. current — of water
  17. cell — in biology
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mark — a grade
  21. net — after costs
  22. stock — shares
  23. pass — a permit
  24. game — a match

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