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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 116 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: kick · stock · mate · bulb · deal · last · bay · bark

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bark — to shout
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stock — goods
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stock — shares
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mate — a partner
  24. last — to go on

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