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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · current · bowl · squash · jam · band · kid · face

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. face — part of the head
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. face — to confront
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. band — a ring
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. squash — the sport
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. band — a music group
  16. current — happening now
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. squash — to crush
  20. current — of water
  21. face — to point toward
  22. current — electric
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. jam — a tight spot

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