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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stock — shares
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stock — goods
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. present — the time now
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kid — child
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — happening now
  24. kid — to tease

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