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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cue — a signal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. track — a song
  8. cue — for pool
  9. scale — in music
  10. current — electric
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — a path
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mark — a trace
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cue — a hint
  23. current — happening now
  24. stock — a soup base

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