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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lean — thin
  3. stock — shares
  4. spring — of water
  5. bass — low music
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stock — goods
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. race — a contest
  11. lean — to bend
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. race — humankind
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stock — a soup base

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