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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: court · rash · land · current · cabinet · stock · straw · bulb

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. current — electric
  4. land — a country
  5. rash — a series
  6. stock — shares
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. land — ground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. current — happening now
  14. rash — hasty
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. land — to come down
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — goods
  23. current — of water
  24. straw — a straw man

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