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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for golf
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stock — shares
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stock — goods
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. club — a group
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hand — help
  18. can — to be able to
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — for digging
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stock — a soup base

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