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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 120 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stock — goods
  3. band — a music group
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — of law
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. court — for sport
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — of a king
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a ring
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mug — a cup
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stock — shares

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