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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 120 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: can · drill · bark · tube · rule · stock · mug · current

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. drill — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — a face
  9. current — happening now
  10. bark — to shout
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mug — a cup
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — government
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. drill — army training
  17. tube — a container
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. can — to be able to
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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