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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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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: cap · stock · stand · firm · suit · bulb · tear · current

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. current — of water
  4. suit — clothes
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stock — goods
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. stock — shares
  19. current — electric
  20. stand — to bear
  21. firm — a company
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — in cards

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