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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hand — help
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — in cards
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. land — ground
  12. ground — crushed
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. land — a country
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — goods
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ground — a position
  23. land — to come down
  24. bulb — for light

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