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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · wave · current · dip · ground · stick · spring · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — a position
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ground — the earth
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stock — shares
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — electric
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — crushed
  20. can — to be able to
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. spring — of water
  24. stock — goods

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