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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 120 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: fork · current · stock · ball · bear · press · spring · rush

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. spring — a coil
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — goods
  9. current — electric
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. spring — of water
  20. current — of water
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. spring — the season
  24. ball — a great time

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