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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. current — of water
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. current — electric
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wind — moving air
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — shares
  16. cue — a signal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — happening now
  19. track — a song
  20. game — a match
  21. wind — moving air
  22. track — a path
  23. stock — goods
  24. game — a kind of play

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