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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. club — for dancing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. court — of law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — all right
  9. stock — shares
  10. net — after costs
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. court — for sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — for golf
  15. court — of a king
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. net — for catching
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fine — high quality
  21. net — in sport
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. club — a group
  24. stock — goods

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