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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · present · current · press · patient · degree

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. 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. stock — goods
  2. press — to push
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stock — shares
  7. current — happening now
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. degree — an amount
  11. current — electric
  12. degree — temperature
  13. press — newspapers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — of water
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. 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