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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ball — a dance
  3. current — of water
  4. pound — a weight
  5. current — happening now
  6. stock — goods
  7. suit — in cards
  8. current — electric
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. present — there
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mine — for digging
  16. present — the time now
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. present — a gift

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