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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — a price
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — goods
  8. club — a group
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fine — all right
  16. court — of a king
  17. wake — a trail
  18. charge — in control
  19. club — for golf
  20. court — of law
  21. stock — shares
  22. court — for sport
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stock — a soup base

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