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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — of water
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. current — happening now
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. land — to come down
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rush — hurry
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — goods

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