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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — for golf
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stock — goods
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. net — in sport
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — a division
  18. stock — shares
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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