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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — the earth
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. current — of water
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ground — a position
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — happening now
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — electric
  13. spell — letters
  14. stock — goods
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. shower — rain
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — magic
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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