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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: content · bark · last · stock · track · bulb · scale · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. content — the amount
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. scale — in music
  8. track — a path
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. last — finally
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bark — to shout
  16. track — a song
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. content — happy
  19. stock — shares
  20. last — to go on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — size or range
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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