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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. stock — shares
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. march — the month
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tear — to rip
  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