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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — shares
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bound — obliged
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wound — an injury
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — of water
  10. last — to go on
  11. bound — tied together
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — certain
  16. last — finally
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stock — goods
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. dip — to sink
  24. last — final

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