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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 120 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: stick · rash · current · stock · cap · firm · key · suit

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. key — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cap — a hat
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — decided
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. firm — a company
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stock — goods
  19. suit — to fit
  20. current — of water
  21. firm — steady
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — shares

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