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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. current — electric
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — the sport
  8. date — the fruit
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wind — moving air
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stock — goods
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wind — moving air
  18. current — of water
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. current — happening now

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