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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · mouse · wound · leaves · pit · bulb

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods

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