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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: perch · jam · pop · roll · foot · stock · mate · current

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mate — to breed
  5. current — electric
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pop — to visit
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. current — of water
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stock — shares
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. perch — the fish
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pop — music
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pop — soda
  21. roll — a list
  22. current — happening now
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. perch — for a bird

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