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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. race — a contest
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rule — government
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stock — shares
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — goods
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rule — a law
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. can — a tin

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