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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cell — a phone
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stock — goods
  12. charge — a price
  13. stock — shares
  14. cell — in biology
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. racket — a loud noise

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