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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · stock · wave · saw · charge · racket · bulb · pop

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — shares
  5. charge — a price
  6. bulb — for light
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pop — soda
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stock — goods
  16. charge — in control
  17. pop — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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