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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: mark · lie · object · press · current · row · pitcher · stock

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — of water
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — electric
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — shares
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mark — a grade
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. press — to push
  16. lie — to recline
  17. row — a line
  18. object — a thing
  19. stock — goods
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — to paddle
  23. current — happening now
  24. mark — to pay attention

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