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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stock — goods
  7. bank — of a river
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rock — music

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