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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. current — of water
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mug — a face
  7. cell — a phone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — electric
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stock — shares
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. net — in sport
  23. stock — goods
  24. ball — a round shape

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