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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. stock — shares
  4. net — for catching
  5. bank — for money
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stock — goods
  14. net — in sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. suit — to fit
  22. current — happening now
  23. net — after costs
  24. bank — of a river

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