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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: jam · bowl · fork · straw · stock · last · current · roll

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. last — final
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stock — shares
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. current — electric
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. roll — a list
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. last — to go on
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. last — finally

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