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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. charge — in control
  3. cell — in biology
  4. firm — steady
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bound — tied together
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. firm — a company
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. firm — decided
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. charge — a price
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stock — goods
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — a phone
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. charge — electricity

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