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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cue — a hint
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — shares
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ground — crushed
  9. race — a contest
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cue — for pool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — humankind
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stock — goods
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ground — a position

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