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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. suit — to fit
  3. stock — shares
  4. track — a song
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bound — certain
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. track — a path
  12. bound — obliged
  13. band — a ring
  14. bound — tied together
  15. suit — in cards
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. track — to keep track
  20. saw — the tool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. band — a music group
  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