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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: press · rock · roll · ruler · stock · lean · current · band

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — goods
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a list
  5. rock — music
  6. lean — thin
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stock — shares
  13. roll — a cake
  14. press — to push
  15. lean — to bend
  16. band — a music group
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. band — a ring
  24. roll — on a roll

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