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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cold — not warm
  7. swing — music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. press — to push
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — shares
  14. cold — an illness
  15. current — happening now
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. swing — to play on
  19. current — of water
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stock — goods
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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