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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lean — thin
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lean — to bend
  14. kick — in football
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — shares
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mine — for digging

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