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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. season — in sport
  5. cue — a signal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — a coil
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. spring — the season
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cue — for pool
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — for light
  20. craft — boats
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spring — of water
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stock — shares

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