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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. land — a country
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a path
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — ground
  19. perch — the fish
  20. land — to come down
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. track — a song
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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