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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. present — the time now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. current — of water
  7. stock — goods
  8. present — a gift
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — a container
  11. current — electric
  12. ball — a dance
  13. current — happening now
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. present — there
  18. tube — the underground
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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