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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: swing · hand · stock · pit · current · file · suit · wax

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. current — electric
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stock — shares
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — goods
  9. wax — to grow
  10. swing — in golf
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. file — a document
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pit — a hole
  18. file — a line of people
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — music
  21. current — of water
  22. file — a tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — a soup base

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