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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stock — shares
  3. bank — for money
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — steady
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — a company
  10. wax — to grow
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bulb — for light
  14. row — a line
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. charge — a price
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stock — goods
  21. wound — an injury
  22. firm — decided
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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