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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. object — a thing
  5. spell — letters
  6. object — an aim
  7. hand — in cards
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — help
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitch — completely
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — shares
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. spell — magic

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