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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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. stock — shares
  4. current — of water
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. current — electric
  7. spell — letters
  8. game — a match
  9. firm — decided
  10. chip — to eat
  11. firm — steady
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chip — for betting
  14. current — happening now
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — a short time
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spell — magic
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. firm — a company
  24. suit — clothes

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