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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. suit — to fit
  5. current — of water
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. row — to paddle
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stock — shares
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. row — a line
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — clothes
  18. file — a line of people
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. net — in sport
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. suit — in cards

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