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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stock — goods
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. shower — rain
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — hurry
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — of water
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — shares
  16. march — the month
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — in music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. march — music
  22. current — happening now
  23. shower — to wash
  24. key — the most important part

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