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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: mark · arm · sharp · mine · stock · current · ball · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stock — goods
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mark — a grade
  6. current — of water
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. content — happy
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ball — a dance
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a great time
  21. content — the amount
  22. stock — shares
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — for digging

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