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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 124 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fine — all right
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kick — in football
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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