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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. current — of water
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. current — happening now
  7. hand — help
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mate — a partner
  10. current — electric
  11. hand — in cards
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mate — to breed
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. kick — in football
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stock — shares
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stock — goods
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mate — a friend

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