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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: stick · pass · bulb · root · spell · last · stock · rest

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — what's left
  10. last — finally
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — letters
  20. rest — a break
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stock — shares
  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