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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — goods
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ground — a position
  10. band — a music group
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fine — all right
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bulb — for light
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. object — to protest
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a ring
  23. object — an aim
  24. fine — high quality

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