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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: kick · current · pop · race · branch · stock · foot · chip

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. foot — a measure
  3. race — a contest
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. current — happening now
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. race — the arms race
  9. current — of water
  10. pop — soda
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. current — electric
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pop — to visit
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stock — shares
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stock — goods
  24. race — humankind

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