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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. race — humankind
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stock — goods
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. land — to come down
  8. firm — a company
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. land — ground
  11. firm — steady
  12. present — the time now
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. kick — in football
  15. race — the arms race
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. race — a contest
  22. land — a country
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stock — shares

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