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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · toast · current · scale · last · patient · snap · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. current — happening now
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. toast — bread
  10. scale — in music
  11. current — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. last — to go on
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. scale — size or range
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — electric
  22. stock — shares
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. toast — the most admired

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