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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stock — goods
  3. swing — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. land — ground
  10. sharp — clever
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. swing — to play on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stock — shares
  24. bulb — for light

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