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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. clip — a video
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — hurry
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. firm — steady
  22. clip — to cut
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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