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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 116 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: fan · straw · cue · wave · stock · ruler · chair · current

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cue — for pool
  6. current — happening now
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. current — electric
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cue — a hint
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chair — a leader
  18. current — of water
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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