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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. mate — to breed
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mate — a partner
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — part of the head
  11. can — a tin
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — shares
  14. face — to confront
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant

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