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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stock — goods
  6. present — there
  7. bank — of a river
  8. present — the time now
  9. current — electric
  10. press — a publisher
  11. field — farmland
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bank — for money
  15. press — to push
  16. stock — shares
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. field — a subject
  20. current — of water
  21. field — for sport
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — a gift

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