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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — happening now
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. chip — for betting
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rash — a series
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. kick — in football
  15. current — of water
  16. rash — hasty
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. current — electric
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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