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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. tube — the underground
  3. drill — army training
  4. current — happening now
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cue — a signal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — the tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — goods
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. current — of water
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. content — happy
  21. tube — a container
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. temple — side of the head

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