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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. root — of a plant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bound — certain
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ball — a great time
  16. race — the arms race
  17. root — the cause
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. root — of a word
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. race — a contest
  24. bound — obliged

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