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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — to rob
  4. current — of water
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. land — ground
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mug — a face
  9. stock — shares
  10. bank — for money
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. land — to come down
  14. bank — of a river
  15. land — a country
  16. season — in sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. season — of the year
  21. kid — child
  22. stock — goods
  23. mug — a cup
  24. current — happening now

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