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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: rock · current · season · bulb · chair · bank · stock · stick

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. bank — for money
  2. stock — shares
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chair — a leader
  7. season — in sport
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. season — of the year
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stock — goods
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — of water
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — happening now
  23. rock — music
  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