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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — shares
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stock — goods
  6. land — a country
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. land — ground
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. field — a subject
  17. land — to come down
  18. rock — music
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. field — for sport
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. field — farmland
  24. stand — for spectators

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