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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. toast — bread
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mug — a face
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — goods
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. craft — a skill
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. craft — boats
  21. stock — shares
  22. bass — low music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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