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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ground — a position
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to click
  14. ground — crushed
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. ground — the earth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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