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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. root — the cause
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. land — to come down
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lean — to bend
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — a country
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. land — ground
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — shares
  21. lean — thin
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wake — a trail
  24. racket — a loud noise

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