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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. stock — shares
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ball — a great time
  5. current — electric
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stock — goods
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. charge — electricity
  15. roll — a cake
  16. current — of water
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a dance
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. current — happening now
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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