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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · stock · patient · bulb · craft · sharp · cue · snap

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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 — goods
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cue — for pool
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cue — a hint
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. craft — boats
  9. stock — shares
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. snap — to click
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stock — a soup base
  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