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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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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: bulb · content · stock · staff · leaves · firm · wake · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. staff — a stick
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bulb — for light
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. firm — steady
  15. wake — a trail
  16. content — happy
  17. firm — decided
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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