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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 · wind · mate · sharp · stick · chip · current · wake

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. current — of water
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stock — shares
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chip — to eat
  22. current — happening now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. current — electric

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