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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fine — all right
  5. current — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. file — a document
  9. roll — a list
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bound — obliged
  12. current — happening now
  13. shower — to wash
  14. file — a tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. stock — goods
  17. bound — certain
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. current — electric
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — to be able to
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fine — a penalty

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