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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. current — happening now
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — hasty
  5. current — electric
  6. stock — shares
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bass — low music
  16. kick — in football
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — goods
  19. rash — a series
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ground — a position
  23. cap — a lid
  24. toast — bread

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