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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — shares
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. game — wild animals
  9. current — electric
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bore — to tire
  12. current — of water
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — happening now
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. game — a match
  24. fork — a garden tool

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