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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — finally
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stock — goods
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stock — shares
  12. present — a gift
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. last — to go on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. present — the time now
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — there
  24. rest — a break

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