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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: sharp · stock · content · cabinet · field · lash · bank · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bank — for money
  10. content — the amount
  11. field — farmland
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. field — for sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bank — of a river
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. field — a subject
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — happy

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