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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. net — for catching
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. sharp — clever
  16. net — after costs
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — a price
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. net — in sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — in control

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