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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. current — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. firm — a company
  10. stock — goods
  11. race — a contest
  12. current — electric
  13. land — a country
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — a container
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. race — humankind
  20. land — to come down
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. firm — steady

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