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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. clip — for paper
  4. club — for golf
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — electric
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bass — the fish
  11. club — for dancing
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — happening now
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — a group
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bass — low music
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — of water
  23. clip — a video
  24. bank — of a river

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