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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. club — for golf
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. club — a group
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stock — shares
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stock — goods
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. prune — to trim

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