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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: chair · stock · ruler · rest · toast · squash · current · nail

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rest — a break
  4. squash — to crush
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. toast — bread
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — shares
  11. current — of water
  12. squash — the sport
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — electric

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