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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: stock · chip · current · drill · mark · snap · bound · spring

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. drill — army training
  2. stock — goods
  3. mark — a grade
  4. spring — of water
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — obliged
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spring — the season
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bound — certain
  18. spring — a coil
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. drill — the tool
  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