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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — shares
  3. squash — the sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mark — a grade
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. field — farmland
  12. stock — goods
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitch — completely
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. field — a subject
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mark — to pay attention

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