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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spell — magic
  11. current — of water
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. current — happening now
  20. press — to push
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stock — shares
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a trace

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