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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — the tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stock — goods
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. game — a match
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. clip — for paper
  16. squash — to crush
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — army training
  24. game — a kind of play

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