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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. foot — a measure
  3. tube — a container
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stock — shares
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. tube — the underground
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — of water
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stock — goods
  21. current — happening now
  22. swing — to play on
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a leader

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