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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — the fish
  3. game — a match
  4. file — a document
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mine — for digging
  10. file — a tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — shares
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — goods
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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