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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 116 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: charge · bulb · field · plane · stock · squash · calf · bear

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — for light
  3. squash — the sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bear — the animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. field — for sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stock — goods
  17. charge — electricity
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stock — shares
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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