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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. content — happy
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rest — a break
  11. dip — to sink
  12. content — the amount
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — electric
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — goods
  24. rest — what's left

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