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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: cue · bulb · land · bark · sharp · cap · hand · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cap — a hat
  14. land — a country
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stock — shares
  18. cap — of ice
  19. land — to come down
  20. cue — a signal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cue — for pool

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