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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. club — for dancing
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rock — a stone
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rock — music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. club — a group
  12. cold — an illness
  13. stock — goods
  14. current — of water
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. file — a document
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cold — not warm
  22. current — electric
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. club — for golf

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