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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: deal · can · mark · current · content · bay · stock · clip

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. current — happening now
  5. content — happy
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. clip — for paper
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — a video
  10. mark — a grade
  11. can — a tin
  12. mark — a trace
  13. current — electric
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. content — the amount
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stock — shares
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — to be able to
  23. current — of water
  24. mark — to pay attention

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