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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fork — in a road
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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