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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 · field · calf · file · temple · stock · dip · straw

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. field — for sport
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. field — a subject
  13. file — a document
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. field — farmland
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. file — a line of people
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. dip — to sink
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stock — goods

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