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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — shares
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — for sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — goods
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — a break
  14. land — a country
  15. staff — employees
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. staff — a stick
  20. land — ground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — to come down
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bulb — of a plant

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