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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: plane · game · bulb · wound · rest · can · stock · march

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bulb — for light
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. stock — a soup base

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