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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stock — goods
  3. present — the time now
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — there
  6. stock — shares
  7. court — of law
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — a gift
  17. court — of a king
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. band — a music group
  21. drill — army training
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. court — for sport
  24. kick — in football

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