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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pass — a permit
  6. present — there
  7. object — an aim
  8. current — of water
  9. band — a music group
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. current — electric
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. object — to protest
  14. stock — shares
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stock — goods
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. band — a ring
  21. object — a thing
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pass — to spend time

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