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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. current — happening now
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stock — goods
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. charge — in control
  7. land — to come down
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — a country
  14. current — electric
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — of water
  19. charge — electricity
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. land — ground
  24. wake — a trail

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