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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. roll — a list
  4. club — for golf
  5. stock — goods
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a music group
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — shares
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — in control
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. charge — a price
  20. band — a ring
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — a group
  24. bulb — for light

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