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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. object — a thing
  3. stock — shares
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — goods
  11. game — a match
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kid — child
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. game — wild animals
  23. object — to protest
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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