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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. net — for catching
  5. stock — shares
  6. pound — a weight
  7. present — there
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — goods
  10. mark — a trace
  11. present — the time now
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — in sport
  16. land — a country
  17. net — after costs
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. present — a gift
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. land — to come down
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fall — to drop
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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