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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: bulb · deal · bear · stock · chair · foot · kick · rush

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kick — in football
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stock — goods
  23. deal — to handle
  24. kick — with a leg

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