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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: can · board · press · stock · mine · jam · court · current

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — shares
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — of a king
  7. stock — goods
  8. board — a committee
  9. current — of water
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. board — to get on
  12. press — to push
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. press — newspapers
  16. current — electric
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — for sport
  19. press — a publisher
  20. court — of law
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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