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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: stock · jam · game · pound · roll · current · rash · chip

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. rash — a series
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. game — a match
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stock — goods
  11. chip — to eat
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — hasty
  16. roll — a list
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chip — for betting
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. current — happening now
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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