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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — of water
  5. swing — music
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. current — happening now
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pop — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ball — a great time
  13. snap — to click
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pop — to visit
  16. present — a gift
  17. pop — soda
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cap — of ice
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stock — goods
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stock — shares

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