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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — help
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hand — in cards
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bound — certain
  10. stock — shares
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — to come down
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stock — goods
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bulb — of a plant

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