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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. land — ground
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — a country
  15. current — electric
  16. land — to come down
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stock — goods
  24. mouse — for a computer

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