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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hand — help
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stock — shares
  10. mug — a face
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bear — the animal

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