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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — shares
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cold — not warm
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — goods
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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