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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chest — a box
  4. tube — the underground
  5. last — to go on
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. last — finally
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. present — a gift
  15. last — final
  16. stock — goods
  17. chest — of your body
  18. present — there
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tube — a container
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chest — of your body

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