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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. stock — shares
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. land — a country
  13. pitch — completely
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. current — happening now
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. current — of water
  24. stock — goods

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