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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — a committee
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. staff — employees
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. bass — the fish
  20. staff — employees
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — low music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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