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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stock — goods
  3. land — ground
  4. bulb — for light
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stock — shares
  10. race — the arms race
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — to come down
  13. race — humankind
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — a country
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bulb — for light
  20. race — a contest
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitch — a sports field

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