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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stock — shares
  10. band — a ring
  11. toast — bread
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — a friend
  17. firm — a company
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a music group
  20. firm — steady
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stock — goods
  23. mate — to breed
  24. saw — the tool

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