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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stock — goods
  13. fall — the season
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — shares
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. scale — size or range

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