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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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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: hide · bear · pop · spell · key · bulb · stock · patient

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stock — shares
  3. pop — soda
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stock — goods
  6. spell — letters
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pop — music
  19. spell — magic
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bear — to put up with

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