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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bound — tied together
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bound — obliged
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. degree — from a university
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — in football
  24. bound — certain

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