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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. land — a country
  3. stock — shares
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. land — ground
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. dip — to sink
  9. current — happening now
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. current — electric
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. land — to come down
  17. bore — to tire
  18. last — to go on
  19. bass — low music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stock — goods
  23. last — final
  24. current — of water

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