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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: rush · bulb · fork · racket · row · stock · charge · mine

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stock — shares
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. charge — a price
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — a line
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. charge — in control
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fork — in a road

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