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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 · stock · drill · content · jam · stick · plane · fine

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stock — shares
  3. content — the amount
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — army training
  9. fine — high quality
  10. plane — a tool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stock — goods
  20. content — happy
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. drill — a practice

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