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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stock — goods
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wound — an injury
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. perch — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. land — a country
  12. stock — shares
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — to come down
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — to fit
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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