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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: rest · stock · current · ball · cabinet · stand · hand · club

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stock — shares
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — for golf
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rest — a break
  15. current — happening now
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hand — help
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. club — a group

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