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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. court — of law
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. court — for sport
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. present — the time now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rest — a break
  12. court — of a king
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — a division
  17. present — there
  18. stock — goods
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. present — a gift
  23. stock — shares
  24. rest — what's left

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