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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stock — shares
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — electric
  7. mine — for digging
  8. current — of water
  9. land — to come down
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stock — goods
  15. land — a country
  16. track — a song
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mark — a trace
  21. current — happening now
  22. land — ground
  23. track — a path
  24. mine — an explosive

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