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

Word bank: date · fall · club · current · bank · arm · rest · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. current — happening now
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — a group
  9. bank — for money
  10. club — for golf
  11. stock — goods
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bank — of a river
  16. club — for dancing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. date — the fruit
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. rest — a break
  22. fall — the season
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stock — a soup base

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