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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: can · wake · club · rest · rush · current · bear · stock

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — a break
  9. current — happening now
  10. club — for golf
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stock — goods
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rest — what's left
  17. can — to be able to
  18. club — a group
  19. current — of water
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stock — shares
  24. current — electric

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