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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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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: cell · roll · land · stock · present · row · cabinet · bulb

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — the time now
  5. stock — shares
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. land — ground
  11. row — a line
  12. land — to come down
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — a country
  16. present — there
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stock — goods
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. present — a gift
  23. cell — a phone
  24. roll — a list

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