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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bound — tied together
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. firm — decided
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stock — goods
  8. cell — in biology
  9. field — a subject
  10. bound — obliged
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. field — farmland
  17. firm — steady
  18. current — of water
  19. bound — certain
  20. firm — a company
  21. field — for sport
  22. current — electric
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — shares

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