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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: stock · racket · cue · current · race · fall · band · bulb

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — the arms race
  8. band — a ring
  9. race — humankind
  10. cue — for pool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fall — the season
  13. cue — a hint
  14. current — of water
  15. band — a music group
  16. race — a contest
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — goods
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — happening now

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