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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. court — of a king
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — music
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — hasty
  11. court — of law
  12. charge — a price
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stock — shares
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. charge — in control
  24. rash — a series

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