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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tube — the underground
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. stock — shares
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stock — goods
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tube — a container
  13. rock — music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — to play on
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rock — a stone
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. bulb — for light

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