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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chest — a box
  3. march — the month
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — to bear
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. march — the month
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — happening now
  13. stock — shares
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — of water
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. march — music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. temple — side of the head

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