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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.

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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: current · rush · stock · land · kid · rest · file · bank

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. kid — child
  4. bank — for money
  5. file — a tool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a document
  9. rest — a break
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. current — electric
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rush — hurry
  19. land — ground
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bank — of a river
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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