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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stock — goods
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. chip — to eat
  21. current — happening now
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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