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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. object — an aim
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. object — to protest
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fork — in a road
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — shares
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fall — to drop
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. object — a thing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. scale — in music
  22. fall — the season
  23. game — wild animals
  24. dip — to sink

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