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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. current — of water
  5. can — to be able to
  6. drill — army training
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stock — goods
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — to point toward
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fork — in a road
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to confront
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — shares
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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