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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: file · toast · rash · kid · dip · bulb · ball · stock

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rash — hasty
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. file — a document
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stock — shares
  11. rash — a series
  12. ball — a great time
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. toast — bread
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — child
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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