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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. court — for sport
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. court — of a king
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. current — happening now
  11. wound — an injury
  12. suit — to fit
  13. court — of law
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. current — of water
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stock — goods
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. pit — a hole

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