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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. can — to be able to
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. tear — from crying
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — shares
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ball — a great time
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pass — a permit
  16. row — a line
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — goods
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. current — electric

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