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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. net — for catching
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stock — shares
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — for pool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — goods
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. net — in sport
  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