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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · bass · mate · ruler · current · drill · stick · stock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — of water
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. drill — army training
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stock — shares
  14. bass — low music
  15. stock — goods
  16. drill — a practice
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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