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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: stock · mate · chip · last · sharp · stick · stem · current

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. last — final
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. chip — to eat
  9. current — electric
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — goods
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stock — shares
  14. current — of water
  15. last — finally
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. last — to go on
  23. sharp — clever
  24. current — happening now

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