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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. sharp — clever
  3. shower — to wash
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — goods
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. shower — rain
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pit — a hole
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. row — a line

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