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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: snap · wake · race · stock · current · file · mug · content

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. race — humankind
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. race — the arms race
  7. snap — to click
  8. stock — shares
  9. race — a contest
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. current — electric
  14. mug — to rob
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wake — a trail
  17. file — a document
  18. mug — a cup
  19. file — a tool
  20. content — happy
  21. mug — a face
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. current — of water
  24. stock — a soup base

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