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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · stock · bulb · bark · straw · cabinet · net · current

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. current — of water
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — of the year
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — goods
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — for catching
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — shares
  20. bark — to shout
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. season — in sport
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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