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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: mine · rest · tear · coach · chip · wave · current · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rest — a break
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stock — shares
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mine — belonging to me

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