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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wound — an injury
  5. club — for dancing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. current — electric
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. current — of water
  19. club — a group
  20. stock — shares
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — goods
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. club — for golf

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