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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 116 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: stand · firm · cabinet · current · stock · band · pop · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. current — electric
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. firm — a company
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stock — shares
  9. stand — to bear
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. firm — steady
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — soda
  15. stock — goods
  16. firm — decided
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — happening now
  19. band — a ring
  20. current — of water
  21. pop — music
  22. band — a music group
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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