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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: mouse · club · dip · stock · march · stick · coach · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. march — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — happening now
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. club — for golf
  11. stock — shares
  12. club — a group
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stock — goods
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. club — for dancing
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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