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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — goods
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — to visit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tube — a container
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pop — soda
  20. mine — for digging
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stock — shares
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mine — an explosive

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