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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: ground · branch · key · current · jam · band · stock · straw

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ground — the earth
  3. branch — a division
  4. current — happening now
  5. ground — crushed
  6. band — a ring
  7. stock — shares
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — of water
  10. band — a music group
  11. current — electric
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — a position
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stock — goods
  23. key — for a lock
  24. branch — of a tree

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