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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 124 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. file — a tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. prune — to trim
  5. content — happy
  6. current — electric
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stock — shares
  10. current — of water
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. content — the amount
  13. deal — to handle
  14. tube — a container
  15. file — a document
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stock — goods
  24. tube — the underground

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