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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: club · band · stock · present · pass · pop · sharp · current

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. 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. present — the time now
  2. band — a ring
  3. stock — shares
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. current — of water
  10. present — there
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stock — goods
  14. club — a group
  15. band — a music group
  16. sharp — clever
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pop — soda
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pop — to visit
  24. 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