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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pop — to visit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. charge — a price
  5. current — electric
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pop — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tube — a container
  12. pop — soda
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. current — happening now
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stock — shares
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stock — goods
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rock — music
  24. current — of water

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