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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stock — shares
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rash — a series
  8. fork — in a road
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — to handle
  12. game — wild animals
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. land — ground
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — hasty
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. toast — bread
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fork — to eat with

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