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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 116 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: current · chip · wake · trunk · bank · cue · stock · scale

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. current — of water
  3. chip — to eat
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bank — of a river
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. scale — in music
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. current — electric
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stock — goods
  23. cue — a hint
  24. current — happening now

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