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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rash — a series
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — ground
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. land — a country
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stock — shares
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rule — a law
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rule — government

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