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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — help
  3. board — to get on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stock — shares
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. board — a committee
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spring — the season
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spring — of water
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bank — for money
  24. patient — a sick person

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