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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: bulb · date · mug · clip · bear · cabinet · current · stock

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — of water
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. mug — a face
  6. bear — the animal
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mug — to rob
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stock — goods
  12. current — happening now
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stock — shares
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. clip — a video

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