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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: bass · stem · club · jam · chip · current · stock · pass

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — shares
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chip — to eat
  8. current — happening now
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. chip — for betting
  11. club — a group
  12. current — electric
  13. bass — low music
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. club — for golf
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stock — goods

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