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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mate — a partner
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. hand — help
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — certain
  12. stock — goods
  13. pop — music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pop — soda
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. mate — a friend

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