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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: cell · bat · stock · current · jam · fan · craft · tube

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stock — shares
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. tube — a container
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. current — happening now
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cell — in biology
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — of water
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cell — a phone
  22. current — electric
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. craft — boats

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