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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — a company
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — steady
  6. current — electric
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — of the year
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — of water
  14. bank — of a river
  15. current — happening now
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — a committee
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — goods
  20. board — to get on
  21. stock — shares
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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