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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: mark · mine · sharp · rash · key · root · stock · current

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rash — a series
  3. stock — goods
  4. current — happening now
  5. key — in music
  6. current — electric
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. key — the most important part
  10. sharp — clever
  11. root — of a word
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — shares
  14. mark — a trace
  15. root — the cause
  16. current — of water
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mark — a grade

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