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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 124 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. degree — an amount
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mine — for digging
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. degree — from a university
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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