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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stock — goods
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. net — after costs
  11. file — a document
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. stock — shares
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — to get on
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stand — to bear

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