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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spell — a short time
  4. roll — a cake
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spell — magic
  10. charge — a price
  11. clip — to cut
  12. charge — in control
  13. current — of water
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stock — shares
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. roll — a list
  22. clip — a video
  23. spell — letters
  24. current — happening now

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