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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bank — of a river
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — electric
  5. swing — to play on
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. current — of water
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — happening now
  16. chip — for betting
  17. swing — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. row — a line
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stock — shares
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stock — a soup base

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