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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 120 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: fan · court · race · can · present · current · firm · stock

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. can — to be able to
  3. present — the time now
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — humankind
  6. court — for sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — shares
  9. current — happening now
  10. race — a contest
  11. stock — goods
  12. court — of law
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. current — of water
  16. firm — decided
  17. race — the arms race
  18. present — there
  19. firm — steady
  20. court — of a king
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. current — electric
  23. present — a gift
  24. fan — a supporter

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