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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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stock — goods
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stand — to bear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — music
  24. stock — shares

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