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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: game · mouse · stock · pitcher · roll · current · jam · staff

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — a match
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. current — happening now
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — shares
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. roll — a list
  22. staff — a stick
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — goods

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