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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: current · racket · game · object · deal · bat · dip · stock

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. game — wild animals
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stock — goods
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. current — electric
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bat — the animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — a thing
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stock — shares

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