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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hand — in cards
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stock — goods
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — in sport
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. current — of water
  22. season — of the year
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. board — a committee

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