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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — shares
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. march — music
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. net — after costs
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. march — the month
  19. bass — the fish
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. stock — goods
  24. bore — to drill

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