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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. present — the time now
  6. current — of water
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — there
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — electric
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. present — a gift
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to click
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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