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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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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: foot · bat · present · rest · bulb · pitch · stock · row

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — a gift
  5. row — a line
  6. stock — goods
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. present — there
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitch — completely
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bat — the animal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. present — the time now
  24. bat — in an idiom

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