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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. clip — to cut
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stock — goods
  10. rash — a series
  11. clip — a video
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. root — of a plant
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. root — of a word
  20. pound — a weight
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. root — the cause
  24. rush — hurry

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