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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: current · press · cold · rush · mate · stock · ground · chip

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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. stock — a soup base
  4. press — to push
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chip — to eat
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ground — a position
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cold — an illness
  11. press — a publisher
  12. current — electric
  13. stock — shares
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cold — not warm
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stock — goods

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