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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — letters
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stock — goods
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rash — a series
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — magic
  17. stock — shares
  18. chest — of your body
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bulb — for light

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