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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — shares
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ball — a great time
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ball — a dance
  19. key — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rash — a series
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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