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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — magic
  4. stock — goods
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. craft — boats
  8. suit — to fit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. suit — in cards
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cell — in biology
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rest — a break
  18. spell — a short time
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cell — a phone
  21. suit — clothes
  22. spell — letters
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stock — shares

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