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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — music
  5. rule — government
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stock — shares
  10. pop — soda
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tube — a container
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. scale — size or range
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — a law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — to visit
  21. tube — the underground
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pass — a permit
  24. scale — for weighing

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