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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — goods
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — in music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — happening now
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. present — the time now
  17. rest — what's left
  18. game — a match
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rest — a break
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. scale — size or range
  24. present — there

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