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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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468
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 · dip · lean · game · mate · bat · file · stock

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. game — a match
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. file — a tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lean — to bend
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stock — shares
  24. game — a kind of play

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