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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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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 · wave · rule · stand · present · prune · stock · race

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. rule — government
  4. stock — shares
  5. rule — a law
  6. race — a contest
  7. stock — goods
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. present — the time now
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. current — of water
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. prune — to trim

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