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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stock — goods
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — shares
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. row — a line
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — a price
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bore — to tire
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. charge — in control
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bore — to drill

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