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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: bowl · current · field · stock · content · lash · bank · staff

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. content — the amount
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bank — for money
  10. current — of water
  11. content — happy
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. field — farmland
  15. current — electric
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — for sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — a subject
  23. staff — employees
  24. current — happening now

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