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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. field — for sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — farmland
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — a subject
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stock — goods
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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