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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — a face
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. last — final
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stock — goods
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mug — to rob
  12. current — of water
  13. last — finally
  14. current — happening now
  15. stock — shares
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. last — to go on
  19. current — electric
  20. stand — to bear
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitch — completely

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