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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. content — the amount
  3. stock — shares
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — electric
  9. cap — of ice
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — low music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cap — a lid
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. stock — goods
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. content — happy

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