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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: current · degree · suit · stock · wound · file · mate · coach

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. current — happening now
  3. wound — an injury
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. current — of water
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a line of people
  9. degree — from a university
  10. file — a tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. file — a document
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. current — electric
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stock — goods
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mate — a partner
  24. suit — in cards

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