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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spell — letters
  5. current — electric
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. track — a song
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. spell — a short time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — to keep track
  15. current — happening now
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. track — a path
  20. spell — magic
  21. key — for a lock
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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