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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. net — for catching
  3. suit — clothes
  4. current — happening now
  5. file — a tool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. file — a line of people
  10. current — electric
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. suit — to fit
  13. current — of water
  14. suit — in cards
  15. net — in sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — goods
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. net — after costs
  21. hand — help
  22. file — a document
  23. stock — shares
  24. bank — for money

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