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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: current · mug · clip · rush · board · scale · stock · stand

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. clip — for paper
  5. scale — in music
  6. current — electric
  7. board — a committee
  8. current — of water
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. clip — a video
  11. stand — to bear
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mug — a face
  17. stock — goods
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stock — shares
  20. current — happening now
  21. board — to get on
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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