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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · mark · stock · mug · stick · current · toast · cold

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mug — to rob
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — electric
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — goods
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cold — an illness
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. current — of water
  19. mug — a cup
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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