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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitch — completely
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. craft — a skill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — goods
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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