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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. rest — what's left
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — in sport
  18. rest — a break
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — electric
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. net — after costs
  24. nail — on a finger

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