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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. face — to confront
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. net — in sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to point toward
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. current — happening now
  18. mark — a grade
  19. face — part of the head
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — electric
  22. mark — a trace
  23. current — of water
  24. coach — a trainer

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