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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. capital — a city
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — of water
  13. charge — in control
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tube — the underground
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. tube — a container
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — a price
  22. current — happening now
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. current — electric

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