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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stock — shares
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. current — electric
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stock — goods
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. content — the amount
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. current — happening now
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — there
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stem — to come from
  22. current — of water
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. content — happy

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