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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: bulb · wave · sharp · foot · stock · rash · cabinet · pitcher

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stock — shares
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — a series
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cabinet — ministers

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