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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stock — shares
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stock — goods
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — moving air
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. band — a music group

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