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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: pop · key · stock · press · jam · row · nail · kick

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. press — to push
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stock — shares
  7. row — a line
  8. press — a publisher
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kick — in football
  15. press — newspapers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pop — soda

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