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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. current — happening now
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — a permit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stock — goods
  16. current — electric
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chest — a box
  21. date — the fruit
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ruler — for measuring

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