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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. net — in sport
  5. press — to push
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. net — after costs
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — for catching
  18. stock — shares
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rock — music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. press — newspapers

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