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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. content — happy
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stock — shares
  7. current — of water
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — electric
  12. content — the amount
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. pass — a permit
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — happening now
  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