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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fine — all right
  12. race — a contest
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stock — shares
  15. fine — high quality
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. deal — to handle
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mine — for digging
  22. current — of water
  23. race — humankind
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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