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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. current — happening now
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. current — of water
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chair — a leader
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — a trace
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. club — for golf
  17. mark — a grade
  18. row — to paddle
  19. club — a group
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. row — a line
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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