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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. cap — a lid
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stock — goods
  6. cap — a hat
  7. staff — employees
  8. key — in music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cap — of ice
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. rush — hurry
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. current — happening now
  19. stock — shares
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — a soup base

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