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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — electric
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — the season
  7. present — a gift
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. spring — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ball — a great time
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. present — the time now
  21. stock — shares
  22. present — there
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. dip — a sauce

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