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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: roll · stand · tube · bulb · rash · clip · stock · bay

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. clip — a video
  3. stock — shares
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rash — a series
  10. roll — a cake
  11. tube — a container
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stock — goods
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rash — hasty
  20. roll — a list
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — to bear
  24. clip — to cut

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