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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. race — humankind
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stock — goods
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stock — shares
  16. game — a match
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. race — a contest

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