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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pound — a weight
  5. court — of a king
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — a group
  8. spell — letters
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spell — magic
  11. court — for sport
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cap — a hat
  14. club — for golf
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. current — of water
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. current — happening now
  20. spell — a short time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — of law
  23. current — electric
  24. safe — a strongbox

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