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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. land — ground
  3. stock — shares
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. land — to come down
  6. current — electric
  7. land — a country
  8. spell — letters
  9. stock — goods
  10. mug — a face
  11. current — happening now
  12. dip — to sink
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. firm — steady
  15. current — of water
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spell — magic
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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