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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: stock · toast · bay · kid · rule · saw · bowl · bulb

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kid — child
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rule — a law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stock — goods
  22. rule — government
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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