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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — magic
  8. kid — child
  9. band — a ring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kid — to tease

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