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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — happening now
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — electric
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. current — of water
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — the season
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. swing — in golf
  20. board — to get on
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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