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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stock — shares
  3. scale — in music
  4. stock — goods
  5. mug — to rob
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cap — a hat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mug — a face
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — a list
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cap — of ice
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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