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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stock — goods
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. current — happening now
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. firm — steady
  7. current — electric
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. firm — a company
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. current — of water
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — shares
  21. firm — decided
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — in biology

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