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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. board — a committee
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. kid — child
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — to tire
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. stock — goods
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. deal — to handle
  17. march — the month
  18. board — to get on
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. current — happening now
  24. kid — to tease

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