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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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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: lie · current · stock · pop · band · press

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. pop — to visit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pop — soda
  6. stock — goods
  7. press — a publisher
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stock — shares
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — music
  14. press — to push
  15. current — electric
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — an untruth

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