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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — there
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — a container
  8. kick — in football
  9. stock — shares
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. present — the time now
  14. kid — to tease
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — a gift
  17. kid — child
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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