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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.

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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 · sharp · current · rule · coach · tube · prune · stock

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — a container
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — goods
  8. rule — a law
  9. sharp — clever
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rule — government
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — happening now
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — shares

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