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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. file — a line of people
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bulb — for light
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. file — a tool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — hasty
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. court — for sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — a series
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. court — of a king

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