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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rash — a series
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. row — to paddle
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stock — goods
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. ground — the earth
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — to be able to
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. row — a line

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