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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — electric
  5. sharp — clever
  6. current — happening now
  7. object — an aim
  8. stock — goods
  9. club — for dancing
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. object — to protest
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — a thing
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — of water
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stock — shares
  21. club — for golf
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. club — a group

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