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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. band — a music group
  6. cue — a hint
  7. band — a ring
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. press — to push
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ball — a great time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cue — a signal

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