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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spring — of water
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spring — the season
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stock — shares
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — a hat

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