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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rest — a break
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lean — to bend
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — of water
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — thin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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