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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fall — the season
  3. current — of water
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. current — electric
  8. club — a group
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. march — music
  12. stock — goods
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — to come from
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — for golf
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. club — for dancing
  23. march — the month
  24. current — happening now

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