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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — electric
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. season — in sport
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stock — goods
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. row — a line
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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