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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 · field · stock · current · rock · last · bat · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. field — a subject
  4. stock — shares
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — electric
  7. stock — goods
  8. current — happening now
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. field — farmland
  11. last — to go on
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rock — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. current — of water
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. field — for sport
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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