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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. current — of water
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stock — goods
  6. rock — music
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — for money
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitch — completely
  13. current — happening now
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. net — for catching
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. current — electric
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — of a river
  24. net — in sport

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