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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. drill — a practice
  3. tube — a container
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. current — happening now
  7. drill — army training
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — electric
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stock — shares
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. drill — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pop — soda

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