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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.

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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: current · chip · race · prune · present · charge · stock · swing

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. race — the arms race
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — a price
  7. swing — in golf
  8. current — electric
  9. charge — in control
  10. current — of water
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stock — goods
  13. prune — to trim
  14. swing — to play on
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stock — shares
  17. swing — music
  18. present — there
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. present — a gift
  21. race — humankind
  22. present — the time now
  23. chip — to eat
  24. race — a contest

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