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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 116 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: stem · scale · game · present · bulb · deal · stock · rush

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stock — goods
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — shares
  11. stem — to come from
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. present — the time now
  14. rush — hurry
  15. scale — in music
  16. present — a gift
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. game — a match
  20. present — there
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stock — a soup base

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