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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kid — child
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. row — a line
  6. stock — goods
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — hasty
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kick — in football
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lie — to recline
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. row — to paddle
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — for light

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