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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: kid · bulb · straw · stock · bat · rock · toast · sharp

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. bulb — for light
  3. toast — bread
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bat — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. kid — child
  12. stock — shares
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rock — music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rock — a stone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. straw — a straw man
  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