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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — shares
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stock — goods
  16. spell — letters
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spring — the season
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spell — magic
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. spring — a coil

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