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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — a division
  4. court — for sport
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cell — in biology
  8. court — of a king
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. court — of law
  24. stock — goods

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