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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fine — all right
  3. current — of water
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. firm — a company
  6. season — in sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — shares
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. current — happening now
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. firm — steady
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — electric
  21. season — of the year
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stock — goods

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