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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — of water
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stock — shares
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ground — a position
  19. pound — a weight
  20. current — electric
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. row — a line

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