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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. capital — a city
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — to rob
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. net — in sport
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. capital — money
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — after costs
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pound — a weight
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. net — for catching
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bulb — for light

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