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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 124 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. present — the time now
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. present — a gift
  16. stock — shares
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. present — there
  20. snap — to click
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — music
  24. hand — help

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