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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. current — electric
  7. cell — in biology
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stock — goods
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mug — a face
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. foot — a measure

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