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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. march — the month
  4. current — of water
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — a line
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. march — the month
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. current — electric
  13. row — to paddle
  14. march — music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stock — shares
  17. bound — certain
  18. rock — a stone
  19. kick — in football
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitcher — a jug

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