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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — for catching
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stock — shares
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bore — to drill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tear — to rip
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — after costs
  24. bore — to tire

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