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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stock — shares
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chest — a box
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. stock — goods
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. key — in music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — hurry
  24. key — the most important part

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