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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: stock · face · last · current · mark · patient · club · drill

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. current — electric
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stock — goods
  6. club — for dancing
  7. drill — army training
  8. current — happening now
  9. mark — a grade
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — a group
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — of water
  19. face — part of the head
  20. club — for golf
  21. mark — a trace
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. drill — a practice

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