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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: spring · dip · bank · bark · stock · current · stick · bound

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. spring — the season
  3. current — electric
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. current — of water
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bound — certain
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bound — tied together
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — of water
  16. bark — to shout
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stock — shares
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stock — goods
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bank — for money

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