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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stock — goods
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. snap — to click
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — shares
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lie — to recline
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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