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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — of water
  7. net — after costs
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. net — in sport
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stock — goods
  21. net — for catching
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tear — from crying

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