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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. board — a committee
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — happening now
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — to get on
  12. root — the cause
  13. stock — shares
  14. current — electric
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — of water
  19. stock — goods
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. can — to be able to

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