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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a tool
  9. current — of water
  10. board — a committee
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. current — happening now
  15. stock — shares
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. board — to get on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a document
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — to bear

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