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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: bulb · swing · leaves · band · perch · mug · stock · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. band — a music group
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — to play on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mug — a face
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. band — a ring
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stock — goods
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. swing — music
  16. track — a song
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — shares
  23. mug — a cup
  24. swing — in golf

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