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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. track — to keep track
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. track — a path
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — goods
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. track — a song
  17. stock — shares
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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