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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. present — the time now
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. current — electric
  6. present — a gift
  7. firm — a company
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. current — of water
  18. capital — money
  19. stock — shares
  20. present — there
  21. capital — a city
  22. firm — steady
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bark — to shout

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