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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stock — shares
  5. fall — the season
  6. current — happening now
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — electric
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. net — for catching
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stock — goods
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. track — a song

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