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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stock — goods
  3. club — for dancing
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. saw — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ground — a position
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a dance
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — a series
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ball — a round shape

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