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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stock — goods
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stock — shares
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. current — happening now
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pound — a weight
  15. board — a committee
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. current — of water
  18. board — to get on
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. current — electric
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — the season
  24. spring — the season

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