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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: row · coach · charge · fan · mark · bay · bulb · stock

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stock — goods
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stock — shares
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. row — a line
  13. charge — a price
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — in control
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. row — to paddle

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