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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: march · spell · foot · bulb · stick · object · stock · staff

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. stock — goods
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. march — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — letters
  10. stock — shares
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — a thing
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spell — magic
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. staff — a stick
  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