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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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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: bowl · bay · kick · rule · current · bulb · stock · tear

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stock — goods
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rule — a law
  8. stock — shares
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. current — of water
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rule — government
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — electric
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. tear — from crying
  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