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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. current — of water
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. season — in sport
  8. stock — shares
  9. season — of the year
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. row — to paddle
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. current — electric
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. current — happening now
  24. row — a line

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