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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: staff · scale · tube · lash · current · date · stock · present

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. staff — a stick
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. staff — employees
  7. date — the fruit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stock — goods
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — happening now
  15. staff — employees
  16. scale — in music
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. current — of water
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stock — shares

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