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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: branch · content · current · stock · cue · spell · key · date

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stock — goods
  3. spell — magic
  4. key — in music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — electric
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. current — happening now
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. key — the most important part
  21. branch — a division
  22. stock — shares
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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