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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 116 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — shares
  4. cold — not warm
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stock — goods
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bass — low music
  11. lean — thin
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — the animal

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