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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. field — a subject
  4. current — electric
  5. field — for sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — farmland
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stock — goods
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stock — shares
  24. hand — help

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