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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. toast — bread
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stock — goods
  10. wind — moving air
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stock — shares
  17. current — happening now
  18. chair — a leader
  19. current — electric
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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