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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. firm — decided
  13. capital — money
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rest — a break
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. capital — a city
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — a company

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