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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: wound · jam · ruler · current · stock · degree · sharp · squash

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — goods
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — to crush
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wound — an injury
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. current — happening now
  14. stock — shares
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. degree — temperature
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. squash — the sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. current — of water
  24. ruler — a monarch

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