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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stock — shares
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — happening now
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. current — electric
  10. lie — to recline
  11. band — a music group
  12. track — a song
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. track — a path
  18. current — of water
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. track — to keep track

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