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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.

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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: bulb · stock · pit · current · wave · kick · court · lie

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stock — goods
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. court — for sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pit — in a race
  11. current — electric
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. court — of law
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kick — in football
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. current — happening now
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — of a king
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. current — of water
  24. stock — shares

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