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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. last — final
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. last — finally
  12. cue — a signal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — high quality
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. last — to go on
  23. fine — all right
  24. safe — out of danger

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