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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 120 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: cabinet · current · rash · scale · bulb · stock · lie · stick

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — electric
  4. rash — a series
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — goods
  19. current — of water
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. current — happening now

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