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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · chip · current · stick · bat · march · lash · stock

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. march — the month
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. swing — in golf
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — goods
  12. current — of water
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — for betting
  17. swing — to play on
  18. march — music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. swing — music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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