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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — a price
  4. suit — in cards
  5. band — a music group
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. current — happening now
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a ring
  18. rash — a series
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wake — a trail
  24. current — electric

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