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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. date — the fruit
  5. current — happening now
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — goods
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — of water
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. scale — in music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. scale — for weighing

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