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

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — a price
  4. pop — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — soda
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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