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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: capital · leaves · chip · bank · tube · track · stock · current

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. current — happening now
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — a song
  5. tube — a container
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. capital — money
  10. track — a path
  11. capital — a city
  12. stock — shares
  13. chip — to eat
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. current — electric
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. track — to keep track
  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