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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: deal · stock · swing · tear · jam · drill · current · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. tear — from crying
  6. swing — in golf
  7. drill — army training
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. current — electric
  11. stock — shares
  12. drill — a practice
  13. date — the fruit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. swing — music
  18. tear — to rip
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. tear — from crying
  24. date — on the calendar

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