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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: temple · jam · firm · tube · stock · current · cell · clip

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — of water
  4. clip — for paper
  5. tube — the underground
  6. clip — a video
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. firm — steady
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. firm — decided
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — electric
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. tube — a container
  20. firm — a company
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. tube — in a tire

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