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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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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — of water
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — happening now
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — the amount
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stock — goods
  23. cap — a hat
  24. content — happy

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