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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 · rush · straw · racket · key · dip · wake · current

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. key — for a lock
  3. current — electric
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stock — goods
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. dip — to sink
  21. key — in music
  22. stock — shares
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wake — before a funeral

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