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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stock — goods
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. object — to protest
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stock — shares
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. object — a thing
  19. pop — music
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. current — electric
  22. object — an aim
  23. current — of water
  24. pop — to visit

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