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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.

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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stock — goods
  3. wake — a trail
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. can — a tin
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stock — shares
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. hand — help
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. season — of the year
  21. bulb — for light
  22. season — in sport
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stem — 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