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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — a path
  6. game — a match
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. game — wild animals
  9. row — to paddle
  10. track — a song
  11. suit — clothes
  12. current — happening now
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. current — of water
  15. track — to keep track
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bank — of a river
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stock — goods
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. current — electric
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stock — shares

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