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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pop — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. board — to get on
  7. mark — a trace
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. current — electric
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spell — magic
  18. pop — to visit
  19. swing — to play on
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. spell — letters
  23. stock — goods
  24. swing — in golf

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