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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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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: straw · toast · pit · calf · stock · bulb · pound · row

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — shares
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. row — a line
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stock — goods
  9. pound — a weight
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. toast — bread
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bulb — for light
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. calf — a young animal

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