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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: board · stock · pit · rush · tear · squash · current · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. squash — the sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stock — shares
  6. pit — in a race
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rush — hurry
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. current — happening now
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tear — to rip
  14. board — a committee
  15. current — electric
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stock — goods
  18. tear — from crying
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — of water
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pit — a hole

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