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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rash — a series
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. charge — in control
  13. net — after costs
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rash — hasty
  17. charge — electricity
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — a price
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stock — goods

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