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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. club — for golf
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. race — the arms race
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. club — a group
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rock — a stone
  16. current — happening now
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rock — music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stock — goods
  23. current — of water
  24. pitcher — a jug

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