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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: lean · pitch · stock · fan · dip · bulb · cabinet · calf

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — goods
  12. bulb — for light
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pitch — completely

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