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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. current — of water
  3. land — ground
  4. key — in music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. toast — bread
  9. spell — magic
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. current — electric
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. current — happening now
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. land — to come down
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — letters
  23. land — a country
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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