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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stock — shares
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — of water
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. race — a contest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. current — happening now
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lean — thin
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fork — in a road
  21. race — humankind
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lean — to rest against
  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