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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: lean · pitcher · march · file · bulb · rush · current · stock

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lean — thin
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stock — goods
  6. current — happening now
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stock — shares
  11. march — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. current — electric
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — the month
  18. file — a document
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. current — of water
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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