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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: row · bulb · racket · stand · bass · stock · game · present

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — there
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — goods
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bass — low music
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. present — a gift
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stock — shares
  24. present — the time now

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