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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 120 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
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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: wave · rash · field · stock · can · rock · suit · current

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rash — a series
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. field — a subject
  6. rock — music
  7. stock — goods
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. field — for sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rash — hasty
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rock — a stone
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — happening now
  21. suit — to fit
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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