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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 116 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. branch — a division
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — goods
  18. kick — a thrill

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