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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — shares
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stock — goods
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — a friend

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