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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 124 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — goods

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