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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a ring
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. date — the fruit
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. foot — a measure
  13. band — a music group
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stock — shares
  24. roll — a list

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