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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stock — goods
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — shares
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — a series
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — a permit
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. staff — employees

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