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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: stock · bulb · craft · rock · leaves · squash · patient · foot

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rock — music
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — boats
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — goods
  14. squash — to crush
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. foot — part of the body

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