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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: current · bear · rush · cap · present · kid · stock · calf

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — the time now
  8. kid — to tease
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — of ice
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. cap — a lid
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. present — there
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kid — child
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. calf — a young animal

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