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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — all right
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. object — a thing
  11. cold — not warm
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — high quality
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stock — goods
  24. object — an aim

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