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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. squash — to crush
  3. firm — steady
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stock — shares
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — army training
  12. squash — the sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stock — goods
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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