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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. branch — a division
  12. stock — goods
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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