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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.

Words on the sheet
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: spell · file · land · mouse · foot · stock · rush · bulb

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — goods
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. foot — a measure
  9. land — to come down
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. land — ground
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. land — a country
  22. spell — a short time
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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