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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — electric
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stock — shares
  5. season — in sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cue — a hint
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cue — a signal
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. degree — from a university
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cue — for pool
  24. degree — temperature

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