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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. deal — to handle
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mate — a partner
  6. band — a music group
  7. pop — soda
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. band — a ring
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — a box
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stock — goods
  17. can — a tin
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chest — of your body
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stock — shares
  22. mate — to breed
  23. chest — of your body
  24. patient — a sick person

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