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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. board — to get on
  7. stock — shares
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — of water
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. board — a committee
  15. march — music
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. current — electric
  19. stock — goods
  20. march — the month
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stand — to bear
  23. root — of a plant
  24. board — a flat piece

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