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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: pass · racket · bulb · stock · cold · pound · mug · sharp

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stock — goods
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pound — a weight
  11. sharp — clever
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. mug — to rob
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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