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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stock — goods
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. spell — magic
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. key — in music
  14. spell — letters
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — shares
  24. spell — a short time

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