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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. net — for catching
  7. band — a music group
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stock — goods
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stock — shares
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. net — after costs
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — animal skin

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