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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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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rock — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stock — goods
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. staff — employees
  15. rock — a stone
  16. swing — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — to handle
  24. patient — a sick person

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