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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. current — electric
  3. spell — magic
  4. stock — goods
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rash — hasty
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spell — a short time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. stock — a soup base

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