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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fall — the season
  4. craft — a skill
  5. file — a document
  6. stock — shares
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stock — goods
  12. craft — boats
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ground — a position
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ground — the earth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cue — for pool
  22. file — a tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — to drop

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