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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stock — goods
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. craft — boats
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to confront
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. face — to point toward
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stock — shares
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chip — to eat
  24. face — part of the head

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