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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — to confront
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — a container
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — goods
  9. bear — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stock — shares
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. charge — in control
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. charge — a price
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bass — low music

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