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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: straw · current · wound · dip · kick · fine · stock · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — of water
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. kick — in football
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fine — all right
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stock — shares
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stock — goods
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. dip — a sauce

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