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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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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: current · lash · deal · net · stock · jam · wake · squash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stock — shares
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. net — in sport
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. current — electric
  9. deal — to handle
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. squash — the sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — happening now
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. squash — to crush
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. current — of water

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