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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — goods
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stock — shares
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — all right
  21. branch — a division
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ball — a round shape

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