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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stock — goods
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stock — shares
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. shower — rain
  23. bound — certain
  24. current — electric

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