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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. land — a country
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. land — to come down
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stock — goods
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tube — a container
  13. land — ground
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — happening now
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — in music

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