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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: current · cue · bank · march · spell · stock · racket · cap

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cap — a hat
  5. march — the month
  6. cue — for pool
  7. march — the month
  8. cue — a signal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — goods
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — of water
  14. spell — letters
  15. current — electric
  16. bank — of a river
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — happening now
  21. march — music
  22. spell — magic
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — a hint

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