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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — for catching
  7. bank — of a river
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. net — after costs
  11. stock — shares
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bank — for money
  16. bound — certain
  17. net — in sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. current — of water
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rash — a series
  23. root — of a word
  24. stock — a soup base

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