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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 124 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. net — in sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. current — happening now
  8. net — after costs
  9. current — of water
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stock — goods
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. net — for catching
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. stock — shares
  24. current — electric

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