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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — goods
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stock — shares
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ground — a position

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