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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 120 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: bay · plane · dip · game · current · calf · row · stock

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. game — a match
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. current — electric
  11. stock — goods
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stock — shares
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — wild animals
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. calf — of the leg

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