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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bass — low music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stock — goods
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — electric
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. drill — army training
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. current — of water
  22. stock — shares
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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