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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — in music
  4. stock — goods
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. board — to get on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. board — a committee
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stock — shares
  24. patient — a sick person

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