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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
468
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: current · hand · straw · object · pitcher · stock · scale · rush

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. current — electric
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — help
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. object — to protest
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stock — goods
  13. scale — in music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. object — a thing
  16. hand — in cards
  17. current — happening now
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. current — of water
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — an aim
  24. rush — to hurry

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