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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. drill — army training
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — clever
  8. drill — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. drill — a practice
  19. tube — a container
  20. track — a song
  21. stock — shares
  22. track — a path
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. track — to keep track

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