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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — goods
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stock — shares
  7. toast — bread
  8. current — of water
  9. object — to protest
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hand — help
  13. scale — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — happening now
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. object — an aim

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