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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — goods
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — music
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — electric
  12. chair — a leader
  13. current — of water
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — after costs
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chair — to sit on

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