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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
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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: stock · hand · spell · mouse · bulb · rule · bowl · field

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. rule — a law
  5. spell — magic
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stock — shares
  9. hand — in cards
  10. field — for sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hand — help
  17. field — farmland
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — government
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spell — letters
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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