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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. key — in music
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stock — goods
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. current — happening now
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rash — a series
  13. tube — a container
  14. stock — shares
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — electric
  18. net — after costs
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. current — of water

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