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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: current · jam · root · date · lean · cabinet · content · stock

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lean — thin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lean — to bend
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. date — the fruit
  11. root — the cause
  12. stock — shares
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. root — of a word
  16. current — happening now
  17. stock — goods
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. current — electric
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — of a plant
  22. current — of water
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. jam — in traffic

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