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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stock — shares
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — of water
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — happening now
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — letters
  15. wind — moving air
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. current — electric
  20. branch — a division
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spell — magic
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. chip — for betting

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