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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. current — happening now
  3. track — a path
  4. stock — goods
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. drill — a practice
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — army training
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. track — a song
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — of water
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — after costs
  21. stock — shares
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. track — to keep track
  24. current — electric

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