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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 transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — shares
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — a publisher
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. file — a document
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. press — to push
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — certain
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stock — goods
  21. file — a tool
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — obliged

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