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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — shares
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stock — goods

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