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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. last — to go on
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. swing — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mug — a cup
  12. last — finally
  13. mug — a face
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — all right
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fine — high quality
  23. last — final
  24. stock — shares

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