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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. spell — letters
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — magic
  5. current — of water
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spell — a short time
  8. net — for catching
  9. stock — goods
  10. charge — a price
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. net — after costs
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. kid — child
  15. current — electric
  16. charge — electricity
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stock — shares
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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