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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. track — to keep track
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. track — a song
  5. bark — to shout
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — music
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — a path
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rock — to move gently
  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