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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. game — wild animals
  3. current — electric
  4. stock — goods
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. can — to be able to
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. wax — to grow
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stock — shares
  21. game — a match
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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