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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. row — a line
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — in control
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — to shout
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. court — of law
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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