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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. root — of a word
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. current — of water
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — shares
  17. bulb — for light
  18. root — of a plant
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. season — in sport
  23. root — the cause
  24. stock — goods

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