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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — a gift
  4. mug — a face
  5. shower — rain
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stock — shares
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stock — goods
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — farmland
  17. craft — boats
  18. present — the time now
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. present — there
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mug — to rob

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