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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: game · sharp · fan · stock · bulb · patient · tube · mark

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stock — goods
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stock — shares
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mark — a grade
  19. tube — a container
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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