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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: row · rock · bulb · deal · kid · cap · stock · foot

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. foot — a measure
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — a lid
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. kid — child
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rock — music
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cap — a hat
  22. row — a line
  23. stock — goods
  24. rock — a stone

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