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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stock — goods
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rash — a series
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. can — a tin
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. net — after costs
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. capital — a city
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stock — shares
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — in sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — for catching
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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