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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. current — electric
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — happening now
  5. stock — shares
  6. mark — a trace
  7. club — a group
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. club — for golf
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stock — goods
  23. bark — to shout
  24. sharp — clever

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