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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: foot · current · stock · press · squash · field · jam · arm

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. field — for sport
  12. current — happening now
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. current — electric
  17. foot — a measure
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. field — a subject
  22. current — of water
  23. press — to push
  24. stock — shares

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