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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: object · current · saw · dip · jam · stock · pop · ground

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. object — a thing
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pop — soda
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. current — happening now
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ground — crushed
  17. current — electric
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — the tool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — of water
  23. object — an aim
  24. pop — to visit

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