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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lie — to recline
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — a container
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — of water
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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