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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hand — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — in control
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stock — goods
  9. present — the time now
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — a price
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. hand — help
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bass — the fish

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