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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mine — for digging
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. current — of water
  5. stock — goods
  6. rule — government
  7. row — a line
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stock — shares
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mate — to breed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — a law
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. current — electric
  22. mate — a friend
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a quarrel

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