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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — steady
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a line of people
  8. field — a subject
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — for sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. file — a document
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. firm — decided
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. field — farmland
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. firm — a company
  24. saw — the tool

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