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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: present · clip · bay · pop · fan · stock · current · jam

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. present — the time now
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. clip — to cut
  10. present — there
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pop — music
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — of water
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pop — soda
  21. current — happening now
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. clip — a video

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