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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mug — a cup
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rest — a break
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mug — a face
  16. stock — goods
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stock — shares
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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