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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — a face
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. game — a match
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. shower — rain
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bowl — a football final

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