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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stock — shares
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — clothes
  5. firm — steady
  6. last — to go on
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. field — for sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. firm — decided
  12. stock — goods
  13. field — a subject
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — a company
  18. field — farmland
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. suit — in cards

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