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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: file · board · pop · patient · spell · stock · toast · current

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. board — a committee
  5. file — a tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. file — a document
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — happening now
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — to visit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pop — soda
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — music
  20. toast — bread
  21. current — of water
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. current — electric
  24. board — to get on

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