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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. current — happening now
  4. mark — a trace
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. current — of water
  16. board — a committee
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. current — electric
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — goods
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — shares
  23. board — to get on
  24. pound — a weight

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