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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stock — shares
  4. bore — to tire
  5. present — the time now
  6. current — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. band — a music group
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — electric
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. current — happening now
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a ring
  21. present — a gift
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wind — to turn a key

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