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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 124 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stock — goods
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — of a river
  7. staff — employees
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. file — a document
  11. stock — shares
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. staff — employees
  14. field — a subject
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. field — farmland
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a tool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. staff — a stick
  24. field — for sport

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