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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. track — a song
  5. fall — the season
  6. perch — the fish
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — of water
  10. bound — certain
  11. current — electric
  12. bound — tied together
  13. track — a path
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cell — in biology
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bound — obliged
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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