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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — a price
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. charge — in control
  10. ball — a great time
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bulb — of a plant

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