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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 124 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — happening now
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — shares
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — of water
  8. last — finally
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — to go on
  18. rest — a break
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. squash — the sport
  24. last — final

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