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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stock — shares
  5. bat — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stock — goods
  10. rash — hasty
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rash — a series
  18. pop — soda
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. court — for sport
  22. pop — music
  23. court — of a king
  24. patient — a sick person

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