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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — shares
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. key — in music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. key — the most important part
  12. row — a line
  13. last — final
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. last — finally
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — electric
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. key — for a lock
  24. snap — to click

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