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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. track — a path
  6. object — to protest
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fall — to drop
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — happening now
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fall — the season
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — to drop

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