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

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — of the year
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stock — goods
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. firm — steady
  9. game — wild animals
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — in sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. game — a match
  20. stock — shares
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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