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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. track — a song
  5. shower — to wash
  6. current — of water
  7. track — to keep track
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. key — in music
  13. band — a music group
  14. current — electric
  15. track — a path
  16. stock — goods
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. current — happening now
  20. shower — rain
  21. present — a gift
  22. band — a ring
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. key — for a lock

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