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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: current · straw · jam · drill · roll · mine · dip · stock

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. dip — to sink
  5. current — of water
  6. stock — shares
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. drill — army training
  11. mine — for digging
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. roll — a list
  14. current — happening now
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stock — goods
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — an explosive

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