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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: current · bulb · roll · dip · branch · stock · squash · ground

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stock — shares
  4. roll — a list
  5. branch — a division
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stock — goods
  11. roll — a cake
  12. dip — to sink
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. current — of water
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. ground — a position
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bulb — for light

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