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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: rush · bay · current · stick · game · stock · season · land

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stock — goods
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — hurry
  14. land — a country
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. season — in sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. game — wild animals
  20. land — to come down
  21. stock — shares
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — ground

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