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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. date — the fruit
  3. season — of the year
  4. net — for catching
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — clothes
  17. net — after costs
  18. suit — to fit
  19. season — in sport
  20. stock — shares
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. net — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. suit — in cards

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