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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. mug — a face
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — shares
  5. rest — a break
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stock — goods
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hand — help
  17. craft — boats
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rest — what's left
  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