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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chest — a box
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — electric
  6. march — the month
  7. current — happening now
  8. track — a song
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rock — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. march — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. track — a path
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stock — goods

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