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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lean — thin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — goods
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rush — hurry
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lean — to bend
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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