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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. march — music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. current — happening now
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — shares
  19. land — a country
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — a signal
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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