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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stock — goods
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. firm — decided
  9. pound — a weight
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. race — the arms race
  12. current — of water
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cell — a phone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — happening now
  20. stock — shares
  21. race — a contest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — a company
  24. race — humankind

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