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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. current — electric
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. last — to go on
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — of a word
  10. stock — goods
  11. toast — bread
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — happening now
  14. stock — shares
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. root — of a plant
  17. current — of water
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. last — final
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. last — finally
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stock — a soup base

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