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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — goods
  3. bound — certain
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. current — happening now
  6. root — the cause
  7. bound — obliged
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. root — of a word
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — a permit

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