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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — shares
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — letters
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stock — goods
  12. track — a song
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. suit — in cards
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. suit — to fit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spell — a short time
  21. track — a path
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. spell — magic

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