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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: staff · leaves · cue · stock · current · drill · track · spring

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. staff — employees
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — a song
  7. drill — army training
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — a hint
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. current — of water
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spring — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. drill — the tool
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. drill — a practice
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — goods
  22. spring — a coil
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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