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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. object — a thing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — of water
  6. track — to keep track
  7. scale — in music
  8. can — a tin
  9. object — an aim
  10. current — electric
  11. face — to confront
  12. track — a path
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. face — to point toward
  18. object — to protest
  19. track — a song
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — happening now
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mine — belonging to me

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