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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stock — goods
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — a sick person

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