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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pop — music
  4. stock — shares
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. current — of water
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — of a plant
  11. suit — in cards
  12. current — happening now
  13. pop — to visit
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stock — goods
  17. root — the cause
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. snap — to click
  22. root — of a word
  23. pop — soda
  24. coach — a trainer

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