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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: arm · stand · last · current · stock · land · chest · suit

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. land — ground
  3. chest — a box
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. last — to go on
  6. stock — shares
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stand — to bear
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chest — of your body
  12. current — of water
  13. land — to come down
  14. current — electric
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. last — final
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. last — finally
  20. stock — goods
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. land — a country

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