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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 120 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
468
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: wax · fine · pit · current · hide · pop · press · stock

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — to push
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — shares
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stock — goods
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pit — in a race
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — soda
  19. press — newspapers
  20. current — of water
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stock — a soup base

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