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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. track — a path
  3. current — electric
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. track — a song
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — goods
  10. chair — a leader
  11. scale — in music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. scale — size or range
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — shares
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. racket — for tennis

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