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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. spring — of water
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bass — low music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pop — soda
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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