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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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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. current — electric
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — of water
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rock — music
  10. current — happening now
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — goods
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. last — finally
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. last — final
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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