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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. row — a line
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pop — music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cue — a hint
  13. row — to paddle
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. cue — a signal
  17. court — for sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. suit — clothes

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