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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. object — a thing
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — to protest
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. game — a match
  7. bank — of a river
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bank — for money
  10. stock — shares
  11. game — wild animals
  12. field — for sport
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. current — electric
  17. field — a subject
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. current — happening now
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. field — farmland
  24. object — an aim

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