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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: mug · current · stem · patient · swing · branch · stock · kid

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stock — shares
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. current — electric
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. current — happening now
  9. mug — a cup
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mug — a face
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. current — of water
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stem — to come from
  21. branch — a division
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. branch — of a bank

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