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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 120 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 · chair · stick · stock · row · bore · charge · ruler

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. charge — a price
  5. stock — goods
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — shares
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chair — to sit on
  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