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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. present — the time now
  3. stock — goods
  4. club — a group
  5. present — there
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. present — a gift
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. row — a line
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. club — for golf
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ball — a great time
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stock — shares
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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