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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 · mug · snap · band · bat · stick · current · stock

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. band — a music group
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. snap — to click
  5. current — electric
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a ring
  8. mug — a cup
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. current — of water
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stock — goods
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stock — shares
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mug — a face
  20. current — happening now
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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