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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. present — the time now
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. branch — a division
  5. date — the fruit
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stock — goods
  10. roll — a list
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — the fish
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chip — to eat
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stock — shares
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. stock — a soup base

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