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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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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: stock · cabinet · court · bound · lash · saw · bulb · pit

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. court — of law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. court — of a king
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — for sport
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stock — shares
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — an eyelash

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