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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: rock · charge · bulb · degree · stock · pit · toast · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bulb — for light
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. charge — a price
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — for light
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. charge — electricity
  13. toast — bread
  14. stock — goods
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pit — in a race
  19. degree — temperature
  20. charge — in control
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rock — music

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