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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fine — all right
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ground — a position
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — shares
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stock — goods
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. calf — a young animal

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