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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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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: bear · drill · current · swing · stock · mouse · pitch · spell

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — shares
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. current — of water
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. swing — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. swing — in golf

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