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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. branch — a division
  6. race — humankind
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — goods
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — shares
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — for a bird

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