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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stock — goods
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mug — a face
  5. rash — a series
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — for betting
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — to tire
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stock — shares
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fan — to cool the air

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