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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. last — finally
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — happening now
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. drill — army training
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rest — a break
  11. cap — of ice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. last — to go on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stock — goods
  22. last — final
  23. current — of water
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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