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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — all right
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — the sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. capital — money
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — to crush
  17. capital — a city
  18. mug — a face
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mug — a cup
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bulb — for light

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