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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mate — to breed
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stock — shares
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — a match
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. racket — a loud noise

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