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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. field — a subject
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. charge — in control
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. shower — rain
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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