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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: bank · bear · patient · sharp · current · bulb · wind · stock

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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 — electric
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stock — shares
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — of water
  13. wind — moving air
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. current — happening now
  18. stock — goods
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wind — moving air
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bulb — for light
  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