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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fine — high quality
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fork — in a road
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stock — shares
  14. fine — all right
  15. club — for golf
  16. key — in music
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. key — for a lock

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