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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. current — happening now
  3. stock — goods
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bound — obliged
  6. root — the cause
  7. current — of water
  8. wound — an injury
  9. current — electric
  10. bound — tied together
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stock — shares
  13. track — a song
  14. present — the time now
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. track — a path
  17. present — there
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wound — an injury
  21. root — of a word
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. present — a gift

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